The digital sun sensor consists basically of a photodiode array and a prism on the array having a light-intercepting shade on its top surface. A slit is cut in the shade and a stripe of the sunlight is projected on the photodiode array. The incident angle of the sunlight theta, therefore, is converted into a function of the position x. The photodiodes are arranged in a Gray code pattern of seven bits. That is, each bit line generates photocurrent if the sunlight-falls on one of the photodiodes in that bit line. The photodiode array is formed in a single silicon chip of 20*4 mm. The width of the photodiode is adjusted according to nearly sec theta so that constant photocurrent is obtained independent of the sun-angle. One device has a visual angle of about 120 degrees along the length of the array and an angular resolution of +or-1 degree.


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    Title :

    Development and spacecraft experiment of digital sun-aspect sensor


    Additional title:

    Entwicklung und Raumfahrzeug-Experiment mit einem digitalen Sonnenfuehler


    Contributors:
    Katoda, T. (author) / Miura, S. (author) / Kishi, M. (author) / Ninomiya, K. (author) / Hoshino, Y. (author)


    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    3 Seiten



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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